In many parts of the world, communities are using their land, water and other natural resources in unsustainable ways — simply because there is no economic alternative.

When conservation offers concrete benefits to rural farmers and local communities, protecting the environment becomes an increasingly viable and attractive choice. CI’s Conservation Stewards Program (CSP) works with communities who agree to protect their natural resources, as well as the benefits they provide, in exchange for a steady stream of compensation from investors. This approach helps conserve biodiversity while improving the quality of life for local communities.

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Tender announcement

The Conservation Stewards Program, which works with communities who agree to protect their natural resources, as well as the benefits they provide, in exchange for a steady stream of compensation from investors, is seeking to retain a
consultant with expertise in Conservation, Community development, and Agribusiness from the East African region.

Interested person or company is invited to request detailed terms of reference (in order to develop a detailed offer, schedule, and budget in US $), no later than
January 31, 2015, by contacting Curan Bonham at
cbonham@conservation.org.

Benefits typically include investments​ in social services like health and education as well as investments in livelihoods, often in the agricultural or fisheries sectors. Benefits can also include direct payments and wages. The size of these benefit packages depends on the cost of changes in resource use, as well as conservation performance. Rigorous monitoring verifies both conservation and socioeconomic results.

EditText:Founded in 2005, CSP has worked with communities worldwide, with
51 agreements signed in 14 countries, benefiting a total of
35,000 people and leading to the protection of
1.5 million hectares of key habitat.

To date, CSP has committed
$7 million in grants, with an additional
$10.3 million leveraged by those grants.

EditText: CSP works with communities to maintain ecosystem services that sustain livelihoods — allowing people to become stewards of natural resources. By empowering communities, CSP’s projects protect biodiversity against illegal fishing and logging and support climate, freshwater and cultural security.